Open and semi-open MRI in Munich
In our group of practices, you can have examinations performed on open and semi-open MRI machines.
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The choice of equipment decides!
The confinement in the tube, loud knocking and lack of freedom of movement are the mix that immediately brings beads of sweat to the foreheads of people with claustrophobia. The fear of confined spaces, known by the technical term claustrophobia, is much more widespread than is commonly believed.
It affects almost one in seven of our patients. We are therefore confronted with a wide variety of questions. We have summarised the most frequently asked questions to give you, as a future patient, as comprehensive a picture as possible of our understanding of your problem:
- What symptoms manifest claustrophobia – maybe I have some without knowing it?
- What sounds can I expect during an MRI examination?
- What are the different types of equipment and which is best for me?
- Are there ways or techniques to reduce my anxiety in the unit?
- In what way do I need to “report” my claustrophobia before an examination?
What symptoms of an anxiety attack can occur – and why?
Claustrophobia is a very individual matter. It can therefore also show itself in very different ways. Acceleration of the pulse to the point of heart palpitations, sweating or full-blown panic attacks can occur.
The reasons for the very frequently stated claustrophobia during an MRI examination are, on the one hand, the “fear of the unknown”. Studies have shown that in patients with mild and moderate claustrophobia, anxiety symptoms decrease with repeated testing.
The other determining factor is the limited space in the tube. At the same time, the standard units are quite narrow with a diameter of 1.2 meters. The semi-open devices or the open MRI devices solve these problems well, but more on that in a moment.
What sounds can I expect during an MRI examination?
The unpleasant knocking noises do the rest – although this is part of the normal functioning of the device. The magnetic coils in the ring generate electromagnetic pulses that are conducted by the water molecules in the body to varying degrees, depending on their concentration. The captured impulses then produce the detailed images.
In the meantime, there is not only hearing protection for patients. We also offer you the option of using music or other in-ear sound to keep the anxiety-inducing noises away.
In addition, the warm ventilation inside the tube provides a significant calming effect.
However, if it does get too much, an assistant is always within call. With the emergency button you can stop the examination at any time in case of a panic attack. But then the whole examination often has to be started all over again – so the motto is: endure as long as possible. The examination takes only up to 20 minutes, depending on the region.
Your anchor points: Sedative before & emergency button during MRI.
If desired, the patient can be given a sedative that takes effect immediately. In the vast majority of cases, the examination can then be performed without any problems. After administration of a sedative, the patient quickly feels “fit”, but one should refrain from driving or operating machinery for the rest of the day.
The fact that the MRI can be stopped at any time by pressing a button near the patient also has a calming effect. This button is only intended for exceptional cases and should not be pressed in the event of the slightest discomfort. This is because if the examination is stopped, the detailed images of the body cannot be completed. A detailed and usually important diagnosis is thus omitted. The examination would have to be repeated completely.
